Non-League and Academy football writer

Valentino Qoku was one of the youngest managers/head coaches in Middlesex County Football League history, after taking charge of Eagles Land Cricklewood’s senior team, earlier this season, in the league’s Premier Division (he actually joined Eagles Land as first team manager during the previous 2023/24 season), a role which he only recently stepped down from. The 26 year old who has recently signed for step 6 side Langford (as a player), has already achieved a lot as a coach, in non-League and grassroots football. He is a talented coach/manager, who still has so much to give to the game, and who has a lot to be proud of. I recently had the pleasure of speaking to Valentino, about some of his footballing journey, so far.

Could you talk me through a bit about your background in football? Also, how did you first get into coaching?

Valentino: I first came to England about 11 years ago, and after going to college I joined the Stevenage development programme. It was there that my love for coaching actually started, and it was based around the coaching that I received from Jimmy Martin. Jimmy is now a coach at a step 3 side, but through him I learnt so much about coaching, from the way that he coached us. Although it was a development team, we did feel like we were the scholars, because of the level of coaching that we received. After leaving college I joined Biggleswade United at step 5, playing a couple of games there. And from there I then ended up joining Crawley Green Reserves, which was my first taste of senior football. I played there for a year and a half.

I would later fall out of love with the actual playing side of things, and instead I enjoyed the coaching side of football more. I would start out coaching at after school clubs, as well as at grassroots clubs. So from the age of 19/20 I went straight into coaching. After playing some seven-a-side football, one of the referees told me that his close friend managed the Dunstable Town development team, and that he was looking for a coach. So I went there, and that was my first time coaching in men’s football. I then became a player-coach during the following season, and during that season we won the county cup, and I really enjoyed that season.

After leaving Dunstable Town’s development team, I went on to coach at a couple of teams for a very short while, and I wanted to become the manager of a team. I would also coach at AFC Dunstable for a while, and we did very well. And towards the end of that season I got the call from Jimmy Martin, who was the manager of Potton United then, and he wanted me to run their development team. And from there I managed a senior team for the first time, and in my first season I managed to help us win promotion from Division One of the Bedfordshire League, as well as reaching the county cup final. But, we managed to get promoted to Division Two of the Spartan League, which was a very competitive league. We struggled at first in the league, but we had a good experience. Then in our second season in that league and to help the team out a bit, I played as well as managing the side.

After I left Potton United, I went to Barton Rovers at step 4, to help to support them during a very difficult season, with both them and FC Romania battling it out to avoid relegation to step 5. We managed to stay up during that season, and then during the following season in December time, I decided that I wanted to get back into management again. That was when I joined Eagles Land, who I spent a year with.

Could you talk me through some of your memories of your non-League footballing journey, so far?

Valentino: Standout moments definitely include winning the county cup, which is something that will always stay with me, and I really enjoyed it. That entire year and a half that I spent with Potton, that was also a great experience. And the game at the end of one season with them, which we won promotion from, was a real highlight for me. Also, overseeing the successful transition from Eagles Land merging with Cricklewood Wanderers, that was another highlight, with us creating a good culture within the football club itself. Also, watching players who I’ve coached  at Potton United Development, go on to play at step 5 and 4, that is another big highlight for me.

What were your impressions of the quality of the Middleswex County Football League Premier Division, as manager of Eagles Land Cricklewood? Also, what were some of your standout memories from your time there, during this season (2024/25)?

Valentino: It’s definitely a very tough league, and it’s probably one of the most difficult step 7 leagues around, along with Division Two of the Spartan League. As everyone in that Middlesex League wants to win, and a lot of teams want to move up the leagues. Regarding my standout moments at Eagles Land Cricklewood, our win against Hayes & Hillingdon so early on in the season, as well as the overall tempo of the game, that made it like a step 5 game. So that game was definitely a big highlight, as well as our performance against step 6 side Enfield Borough, in the Middlesex FA Premier Cup. We gave them a really good game. Another big highlight from my time at the club, was being around the squad. And I really enjoyed the culture that we created at the club.

Who would you say was the most difficult team that you faced (for their quality) during your time with Eagles Land Cricklewood?

Valentino: By far Camden & Islington United. Because of how awkward they are with their shape, and they play with a 3-4-2-1 formation, and so their rotation is also really good. We really struggled against them in our first meeting, and in our second meeting we did something that we rarely did, and we changed our formation to match them and their awkward shape. They can really mix it up in games though, and they are a really good side, who I enjoyed facing. From a tactical point of view they definitely outplayed us in both games that we played them in.

What has been the one standout memory from your footballing journey, so far?

Valentino: For a moment that I will always remember, I would have to say winning the county cup, in Bedfordshire.

How did you find managing Albania at the Inner City World Cup, in London? And what was that experience like for you?

Valentino: It was interesting, and it was obviously a results based tournament, where we tried to win as many games as we could. In regard to the players, it is a big moment for them to represent their country, and so it means a lot to them to get that opportunity in a tournament. Beating Spain in the knockouts of the tournament was a great memory, and we had a mixture of players from steps 4 to step 7, who really played well as a team.

What are some of your hopes and aims in non-League/grassroots football, for the future?

Valentino: The reason why I got into non-League football was because I was around it for a while, and I know how it runs. So I’ve always wanted to change things at my respective club in how we play our football in non-League, and I hope that in the future that I can find another club where I can do that and implement my footballing philosophy, as well getting good results. My hope is to go back and develop a certain playing philosophy at a football club, that also gives a chance for players to actually express themselves on the ball. Some of the results during my second season at Potton didn’t show that, but the fact that so many players in that team have since gone on to play at step 5 and above, shows that our style of play and footballing philosophy led to players getting better.